Whumptober 2019 - 13 - Adrenaline
by DinerGuy
Summary: 2018 reboot. He had thought they'd escaped unscathed from the warehouse. It seemed he'd thought wrong.


_A/N: Standard disclaimers apply._

* * *

The two figures barreled through the doorway of the warehouse and practically leaped into the red sportscar waiting outside. Magnum cranked the engine, slammed into gear, and spun the wheel, the back tires squealing on the pavement as he accelerated out of the parking lot.

And none too soon, because the men who had been chasing him and Higgins were now through the door as well. The gunshots they fired after the receding tail lights of the Ferrari sounded loudly in the stillness of the dark Hawaiian night but missed their target.

"Well, that was close," Magnum chuckled, feeling relief wash through him as they quickly put the warehouse and the criminals behind them.

Higgins shook her head as she calmed her heavy breathing. "I thought you said there wouldn't be anyone there at this time of night."

"Guess I was wrong," he smirked. He glanced in the rearview mirror. "Do you think they're following us?"

Turning to look behind them, Higgins shook her head. "No… no, I think we made a clean getaway."

"Good." He turned his full attention to the road ahead of them as he slowed the car to a slightly more legal speed. "Well, now that we know where these guys' base of operations is, we can call Katsumoto and get HPD in there to shut them down—"

When he interrupted himself with a strangely pained cough, Magnum frowned. That was weird. He'd taken a few good licks when they'd tangled with the goons back there… Had he maybe busted a rib and just hadn't realized it? His adrenaline had been going full-throttle since they'd gotten jumped going around the corner in the warehouse; it was possible more damage had been done than he'd thought, considering how laser-focused he'd been on getting free from the scuffle with a half-dozen guys he knew even he and Higgy together couldn't take down.

"Magnum?" Higgins asked.

He glanced over and noticed she was watching him intently. In the darkness of the car, it was difficult to make out much, but he could tell she was trying to figure out what was wrong.

"I'm… I'm sure it's nothing," he tried to wave off her concern even as he swallowed against the wave of pain that suddenly hit him. Well, that hurt. Yeah, something was definitely wrong with his side. Apparently, those guys back at the warehouse had gotten in some lucky shots. But it was okay; he'd had broken ribs before. He just needed to get home and wrap them, take some painkillers, and sleep it off.

It doesn't sound like nothing," she returned.

He went to shake his head at her concern, only to blink as his vision suddenly started to swim. Another burst of pain rushed through his side, leaving him gasping at the severity, and he had to quickly yank on the wheel to correct the way the Ferrari had drifted over into the other lane.

"Pull over," Higgins ordered from the passenger seat. She shifted in her seat, then there was a flash of light next to him, and he realized she had her cell phone out and on flashlight mode. "Just let me—Magnum!"

Her exclamation made him jump slightly, the car jerking in response.

"Pull over _now."_

Something was definitely wrong, and he was starting to think it was more than just a simple broken rib. He could barely breathe now, much less see straight, and the headlights of the oncoming car in the other lane swam across his vision. "I…" This was definitely not good. He couldn't see five feet ahead of him any longer.

Higgins reached across him and grabbed the wheel, then he felt it turning in his hands just before the rumbling that told him they'd driven onto the shoulder sent shudders through his body and caused the pain flaring in his side to turn into a white-hot fire shooting through every part of him. He could barely hold back the cry of pain that forced its way out of his throat.

"Take your foot off of the accelerator." Higgy was giving orders, and he felt himself obeying even as he couldn't think past the all-consuming _pain_ taking over _everything. _"Good. Now press the brake."

When he did, he felt more than saw her reaching to slam the Ferrari into 'park' and then cut the ignition. But he just couldn't concentrate past the way he could barely _breathe._

"Magnum? Hey! Hey, look at me."

He could _hear_ her voice, and he _wanted_ to do what he'd been told, but he felt like he was moving so slowly… He put a hand to his side, trying to feel for where the broken rib was to see if he maybe had more than one. That was the only explanation—

Whoa. Why was his side wet? And why did it hurt so much when he—

Oh. The thought hit him as another flash of pain burst through his side at the way he'd just poked it. The bad guys _had_ been shooting at them. Apparently, one of them had been a better shot than Magnum had thought.

Well, that certainly made a lot of sense.

Someone pulled his door open then, and he blinked as he realized Higgins was now standing outside the car, next to him, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said gently, "I know it hurts, but I need to get pressure on your side. You're bleeding _everywhere. _Come on."

He really didn't want to go—just the idea of moving made his stomach churn. But then Higgy's hands were under his arm and on his back, and she was tugging him out of the car. He followed—but more because her pulling on his arm was making his side hurt even more.

Blinking again, he shook his head, trying to clear it. He was partially successful, and he could see the grass beside where they'd parked as Higgins led him toward it.

It was only a few steps, but it felt like miles, and he was panting by the time his feet hit the softer ground. He practically collapsed, Higgins's grip barely keeping him from crashing down and hurting himself more.

Something was pressing _hard _on his side. If he thought it had hurt before… that was nothing now, and he felt his legs kick instinctively at the pain that washed over him.

"I know. I know; I'm sorry," Higgins' voice came from beside him. "But I have to stop the bleeding. Lie still."

Easy for her to say. Magnum gasped for breath, her face swimming in and out above him as he tried to focus on _something. _He could tell he was failing, though, and he couldn't do a thing about it.

He could hear Higgins' voice again, and he vaguely realized she was talking on the phone, giving someone directions. That was good. That meant help was on the way. He could just close his eyes for a minute, try to refocus his vision…

"Magnum!"

The sound of his name pulled his eyes back open, and he shook his head a little as he tried to figure out what was happening. Whatever was pressing on his side moved slightly and then pushed in harder, and he groaned.

"Come on. I know it's hard, but you have to stay with me."

He swallowed. "…hurts." Well, he'd meant to say more than that, but he couldn't remember what else he'd wanted to tell her…

"I know," Higgins replied. He could just barely make out the expression on her face as she smiled at him encouragingly. "But you just have to keep your eyes open a little longer, okay? The ambulance will be here any minute."

As much as he wanted to come up with some smart reply, he couldn't form any words, so he just nodded slowly. But even that hurt, and his eyes felt so heavy…

_"Hey!"_ Higgy's voice was nearer to his ear now. "Come on, Magnum. I've seen you make it through more than this. All you have to do is stay awake. Come on," she coaxed again.

He swallowed as he tried to keep his eyes on her. A thought flickered through his mind then, and he let out as much of a sigh as he could manage past the fire in his side. "Sorry… about the… car… carpet."

"You do realize you'll have to pay for the reupholstery job, right?" she asked him.

Well, that didn't exactly seem fair. "What? It… wasn't _my _fault."

"Oh?" Her eyebrow arched. "Then who exactly bled all over Mr. Masters' Ferrari? You turned the entire thing into a biohazard!"

"Right… forget that I'm… bleeding because I was _shot,"_ he managed to reply, wincing. The effort to talk while severely injured was way more than he remembered.

"Yes, but you were _bleeding _all over a $350,000 vehicle because you'd been been shot." She pushed on his side again, wincing apologetically when he made another noise of pain at the movement. "And no," she continued as the wailing of sirens reached them, "reupholstering the driver's side won't cost quite that much, but that is entirely beside the point!"

By now, strobing red and blue lights were illuminating the dark of the night, and Magnum squinted at the way they made his pounding head hurt even worse.

Higgy moved aside as a strange face appeared in her place, and Magnum groaned as his side was jostled again. He blinked upward, hearing the questions being asked but unable to find the words to reply. He could hear Higgins speaking up then, saying something to the EMTs who kept their attention on him but were listening to the information being given.

Hands shifted him, sending more fire spiraling through his side and head as he was moved. He didn't have time to protest before he felt himself being lifted upward, the firm surface underneath him telling him he'd been loaded onto a backboard even as his surroundings faded into a blur as the paramedics carried him toward the waiting ambulance. And then he was inside the vehicle, the bright white interior hurting his eyes as it contrasted to the dark night sky.

Movement beside him had him glancing over, and he saw Higgins sitting near his head.

She gave him a smile as she reached out to pat his shoulder. "Rick and T.C. are meeting us at the hospital," she told him. "And don't worry; I texted Katsumoto about the warehouse already."

Leave it to Higgy to think of everything. Magnum tried to nod in reply, but his head was too heavy. Something pricked at his arm, but he didn't even glance at it. His eyes slowly slid closed even as he felt the rumbling of the ambulance as it pulled back onto the highway.

But it was okay. He'd wake up in the hospital, his friends would be there, and everything would be okay.

So long as Higgy didn't decide to kill him over the reupholstery bill anyway.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
